Although he has worked steadily in movies and on television, Michael B. Jordan became a hot commodity in Hollywood with his memorable portrayal of a young man killed by a transit cop in the drama "Fruitvale Station." FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Although he has worked steadily in movies and on television, Michael B. Jordan became a hot commodity in Hollywood with his memorable portrayal of a young man killed by a transit cop in the drama "Fruitvale Station."FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Michael B. Jordan was anointed Hollywood’s next big thing after his celebrated portrayal last summer of a young man shot to death by a transit cop in the searing drama “Fruitvale Station.”

Earlier this week, he learned the price of such new-found fame when he officially lost his privacy.

“I feel violated,” he said over lunch after seeing a paparazzi photo of him cavorting on a Florida beach with a young woman in a thong bikini.

“It was a group situation, and one photographer with a long lens made it look like something it wasn’t. Somebody puts it on the Internet, and then a website picks it up and then another website picks it up, and suddenly, I’m getting texts and emails from all over the country. It’s the first time this has ever happened to me. I’ve been out with girls before, but it’s never been breaking news.”

It’s only going to worse for the 26-year-old actor, rumored to be connected to several blockbuster projects, including “The Fantastic Four” and the new “Star Wars” film, and it may get a little worse this weekend with the opening of the comedy “That Awkward Moment.”

Jordan, Zac Efron and Miles Teller play best friends and determined single dudes whose tight bond is threatened by budding serious relationships.

Jordan, who was born in Orange County but raised in Newark, N.J., may seem like an overnight sensation but he has been working steadily for 14 years and is best-known for his work as a teenage drug dealer on HBO’s “The Wire” and as the quarterback on the TV series “Friday Night Lights.” He will reunite with “Fruitvale Station” writer-director Ryan Coogler to play Apollo Creed’s grandson in “Creed.”

He is no relation to the basketball player of the same name, and his middle initial stands for the Swahili word that means “of noble promise.”

Q.You have worked steadily for a long time, but wouldn’t you agree that “Fruitvale Station” really put you on the Hollywood map?

A.By far.

Q. How does that manifest itself in your life?

A. There’s that moment, a tipping point, when something happens and everybody discovers you at the same time. It’s nice, but I’ve been doing this for 14 years. It’s been a slow progression, so I’m older and more mature, and I can handle it better.

Q. How is it different in your dealings with the industry?

A.It’s a different conversation now. People want to work with me. There are more incoming phone calls than outgoing phone calls. Even though you don’t seek out this sort of thing, it’s nice to be respected by your peers.

Q.Did you believe this moment would ever happen?

A. I did. As an actor, there’s always that feeling of what’s the next job going to be, but I’ve always been lucky. Let’s say it was being in the right place at the right time. I’ve always been successful; I’ve always been working. I guess I assumed this would always happen. You have your doubts. There are some lows. But I’ve learned to be patient. There are tons of actors in L.A. who don’t get this moment.

Q.I looked on the Internet this morning and saw the photo of you on the beach in Miami with a woman in a bikini. I would imagine that is the downside of this new level of fame.

A. Yes, it is. That was really embarrassing.

Q. And I would assume that being able to lend your name to causes that are important to you is the flip side of the coin?

A.Yes, that outweighs the bad aspects of celebrity. You have to think that way, or you’ll drive yourself crazy. When I was down there, I was talking to my buddy Ray Allen of the Miami Heat, and he was talking about the responsibility that you have as a celebrity. His son has diabetes, and he took it upon himself to speak out about diabetes. He has a platform, and he said that if he doesn’t use that platform to do some good, what’s the point of all this? You’re not using your powers for good if you don’t do something to help people.

Q.I know you’re active with a non-profit called Lupus LA. Why did you choose that cause?

A.My mom has lupus. She’s had it for 25 years, and it affects both of us. There’s no cure, and I want to put my time, energy and voice into this worthy cause because it hits home.

Q. What is it you do for them?

A. I have been extremely busy, and I haven’t been able to do as much as I want, but whatever I can do, whether it’s calling my celebrity friends to attend a charity event or whatever they need. I don’t have millions of dollars to donate to research, but if I can help raise money for research, then I’m doing whatever small part I can.

Q. Was there any strategy to doing a comedy at this stage of your career?

A. One-hundred percent. After doing all the heavier dramatic work, you have to mix it up. I want to be viewed as a leading male in this business, and you have to show some different sides. It’s my first comedy, and there was a lot for me to learn.

A.Just being around it. The director is funny. The other actors are funny. You have to trust them.

Q.Is a comedy set any more fun that a dramatic set?

A. It is way more fun. Everything’s loose, everything’s a joke. Everybody’s trying to be funnier than the next guy. There’s never a dull moment. I would imagine that this is what it would be like in a college fraternity – always making jokes, being in the moment and finding the funny in everything.

Q.What about the message of the movie?

A.Don’t focus on the message. It’s a comedy, folks.

Q.Message might have been a poor choice of a word.

A.No. A lot of people have been talking about the message. We don’t want anybody to use this movie as a guide to finding the perfect woman.

Q. Do you remember how “Fruitvale Station” came into your life?

A. I do. I had just returned from South Africa, where we filmed “Chronicle,” and I was trying to figure out what to do next. I try to think ahead because there aren’t a lot of roles being written for African American actors. I wanted to do an intimate character piece; something I really cared about. Then the Trayvon Martin incident happened, and I was emotionally devastated about that. I felt like it could have been me, and I wanted to do something about it. Then the script came through about Oscar’s death, and the writer-director was a fan of mine, and he wrote it with me in mind.

Q. The circumstances of Oscar Grant’s death made the film powerful to start with, but it was your portrayal that everyone talked about. Can you put a finger on what it was about your performance that struck such a chord?

A.Only that it was a personal story for me because it could have been me on that train platform. I’m from Newark, which is similar to Oakland. We had a big city near us – Manhattan – and he had San Francisco, and those big cities represent big dreams and getting out. You can see it, and almost touch it, but can you survive long enough to make those dreams come true? I felt like it was my one chance to show what I could do, so I put everything I had into it. It’s hard to explain acting. You try to be as honest as you can.

Q. When you finished filming, did you have any idea it would be so important for your career?

A.I did. I thought it was make-it-or-break-it for me. African American actors don’t have a lot of second chances. If you’re the lead, and the film doesn’t succeed, you’re not going to get another chance. It was a roll of the dice.

Q.There must have been additional pressure on you because of his family.

A. Knowing his daughter and mother were going to watch this movie was so much pressure, but that all went away after Sundance. That was the first time they saw it, and once I got their stamp of approval, everything else was icing on the cake.

Q. Of course, because it worked out so well, now you’re being mentioned for every big role in town.

A.And I can’t talk about any of them (laughs). I wish I could tell you more. I really want to, but I can’t.

Q.Were you disappointed the morning that the Oscar nominations were announced and neither you nor “Fruitvale Station” was named?

A. It would have been a nice surprise, but my expectations were not very high. I wasn’t very disappointed. Being in the conversation with people I have admired all my life was a step forward. It was nice that other people thought I should be nominated. It’s better for me to stay out of that discussion. And everything happens for a reason. I wasn’t supposed to get nominated this time. If it’s going to happen, it’ll happen in its own time.

Q.What is it that you want from this career?

A.I want the world (laughs). I want to leave a footprint. I want people to know I was here. I want to make my time here worthwhile.

Q.Is that all possible for a young black actor in Hollywood?

A. I think it is. It’s not a road often traveled, but it’s possible. And that’s not cockiness, but a confidence in your own abilities. I have people around me who believe in me, and that’s important.

Q.You seem to be making strides already. The roles that are being whispered for you are not necessarily intended for black actors, and even this new comedy doesn’t seem to have been written specifically for a black friend to Zac Efron and Miles Teller.

A. Everybody on my team knows that I’m all about color-blind material. I want roles that Leonardo DiCaprio can’t shoot. I want roles that Ryan Gosling and Joseph Gordon-Levitt don’t have time to shoot. I want those roles. One of the reasons I did “That Awkward Moment” was that my part was written as a nerdy white guy. Those are the roles I want to play. Write the role, and let the best man win the role. I don’t mind walking into a room and hunting for my food.

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